


Family Portrait

by ko_writes



Series: Buttons and her life she can't remember [2]
Category: Original Work, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Gen, Songfic, Verbal Abuse, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 10:32:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4663347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ko_writes/pseuds/ko_writes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannah's father left her as a child, this is how it went.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Family Portrait

_Momma please stop cryin’, I can't stand the sound_

_Your pain is painful and it’s tearin' me down_

_I hear glasses breakin’ as I sit up in my bed_

_I told dad you didn't mean those nasty things you said_

 

Hannah, just three years old, knew a lot of words little girls shouldn’t. Any parent would shudder to think of their child knowing some of those words.

It wasn’t because she read the dictionary from cover to cover – she had, but that wasn’t the point – it was because –

The sound of banging and smashing came from downstairs and a sob welled in her throat.

“Stupid bastard!” Her mother yelled, “Stop throwing things right now! Why are you always trying to fuck this family up?!”

“Oh, I’m sorry, _your majesty_ ,” Her father drawled, “I didn’t realise you were the queen of shitty England yourself!”

“You’re drunk again, you arse! I don’t know why I even put up with you when you’re like this!” Her mother screamed.

It was always like this, Hannah knew the script by heart; sometimes, she could even lip-sync the words and yelled accusations.

“I drink because of you! You, miss stuck up duchess! _Oh, I’m too good for this dusty little town and stupid husband, I used to have a title and a big house with loads of servants_! You’re just a dumb slut who should have stayed in England!” Her father yelled.

Hannah whispered the words along with her mother, “ _I can’t leave because we have Hannah_.”

Her father returned with, “She was just an accident! She’s a know-it-all and just as stuck up as you, anyway; I hate her!”

Hannah couldn’t listen anymore. She curled up around her teddy bear, Tyler, and clamped the pillow over her ears.

 

_You fight about money, bout me and my brother_

_And this I come home to, this is my shelter_

_It ain't easy growin’ up in World War III_

_Never knowin’ what love could be, you'll see_

_I don't want love to destroy me like it has done my family_

 

Hannah’s teacher looked over her shoulder and the two pieces of paper in front of the five year old girl.

“Hannah, do you need any help?” She asked.

Hannah shook her head. “I just can’t decide which one…” She pondered.

“Why can’t you decide?” Her teacher asked.

Hannah gestured to one of the pictures. In neat hand-writing at the top were the words ‘my family’ and below was a childishly drawn man with a little girl. “This one is me and – no, daddy _and I_. I love him, and he’s nice, but sometimes he’s… not nice,” Hannah informed.

She pointed to the other drawing; it had the same title, but there was a woman with the girl instead of the man. “And this is mommy and me. She’s nice to me, really pretty and sings me songs. She reads to me, too; and daddy never does that. But she scares me when she talks to daddy…” Hannah sighed, “I can’t decide.”

Hannah’s teacher frowned. She was going to report it to the principal, as was protocol; Hannah’s parent’s sounded like they were having trouble.

 

_Can we work it out? Can we be a family?_

_I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything_

_Can we work it out? Can we be a family?_

_I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave_

 

Hannah’s mom held the broadsword in front of her, pointed squarely at Hannah’s father. “Don’t you dare say that,” She growled.

Hannah - ten years old, short and skinny with scrawny little limbs – stood behind them. “Mom, it’s fine,” She assured, “I don’t care.”

“Get that sword out of my face, you bitch!” Her father demanded.

Hannah’s mom seethed, about to drive the sword into her father’s skull.

“No! Mom! Don’t!” Hannah screamed, lunging forward and grabbing her mother’s arm, trying to pull her away. There was a sharp, cold bite at Hannah’s cheek, and she stared at her mother in shock.

Crimson blood ran down her cheek from the cut. It was an accident, right? Just an accident.

There was a metallic clatter as the sword was dropped on the floor, red speckling the kitchen tiles. “Hannah!”

Her mother was at her side in seconds, wiping away her tears that she didn’t even feel falling. “Hannah, I’m so sorry; it was an accident, I’m sorry.”

“I’m gonna sleep,” Her father grumbled, “And, Lizzy, you ain’t done with the kid yet.”

Hannah just folded her arms, he was just drunk again.

 

_Daddy please stop yellin’, I can't stand the sound_

_Make mama stop cryin’, cuz I need you around_

_My mama she loves you, no matter what she says it’s true_

_I know that she hurts you, but remember I love you, too_

 

“Stupid know-it-all! Nobody likes you!” Her father slurred at Hannah – now eleven.

“I know,” She nodded.

“Just like your fucking mother; Kevin’s probably sick of ya following him around like a pup!” He continued.

“I know.”

 

_I ran away today, ran from the noise, ran away_

_Don't wanna go back to that place, but don't have no choice, no way_

_It ain't easy growin’ up in World War III_

_Never knowin’ what love could be, well I've seen_

_I don't want love to destroy me like it did my family_

 

Hannah – twelve years old – sat in a cold plastic chair at the police station.

“Yeah, she was found trying to leave town,” The police officer nodded, “She’s obviously your kid, so I took her back here.”

“Thank you, officer,” Her father smiled, actually sober, “We were scared she’d managed to skip town! We don’t know what we’d do without her…”

“Thank you, sir,” Her mother almost cried, “She means so much to us.”

 _Like shit I do_ …

 

_Can we work it out? Can we be a family?_

_I promise I'll be better, Mommy I'll do anything_

_Can we work it out? Can we be a family?_

_I promise I'll be better, Daddy please don't leave_

 

Hannah – thirteen – wrapped herself around her father’s legs.

“No, no, no; please, no,” She sobbed, “I don’t want you to go! Just stop drinking, then we can be happy! Please!”

“Sorry Doodle, I can’t take another moment in this house; you’ll understand when you’re older,” Her father shrugged, patting her head, “So long, kid; have a nice life…”

 

_In our family portrait, we look pretty happy_

_Let's play pretend, let's act like it comes naturally_

_I don't wanna have to split the holidays_

_I don't want two addresses_

_I don't want a step-brother anyways_

_And I don't want my mom to have to change her last name_

 

Hannah, now twenty two, was in the club’s dirty bathroom. She heaved and more acidic bile scorched her throat.

The apple never falls far from the tree.

 

_In our family portrait we look pretty happy_

_We look pretty normal, let's go back to that_

_In our family portrait we look pretty happy_

_Let's play pretend, act like it goes naturally_


End file.
